Cottage Pie Recipe

This is a classic British cottage pie recipe from BBC Good Food, serving 10 people.

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Serves: 10

Ingredients

For the Meat Filling

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.25 kg beef mince
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Large glass of red wine (optional)
• 850 ml beef stock
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Few thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves

For the Mash Topping

• 1.8 kg potatoes, chopped
• 225 ml milk
• 25 g butter
• 200 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method Summary

1. Brown the beef mince in batches and set aside
2. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soft (~20 mins)
3. Add garlic, flour, and tomato purée; increase heat
4. Return beef to pan and add wine (if using), stock, Worcestershire sauce, herbs
5. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes until gravy thickens; season and remove herbs
6. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until tender
7. Drain and steam-dry potatoes, then mash with milk, butter, and 3/4 of the cheese; season with nutmeg
8. Spoon meat into ovenproof dishes and top with mash; sprinkle remaining cheese
9. Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until golden

Storage & Freezing

Freezing: Assemble through step 8, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge before cooking. Alternatively, cook from frozen at 160°C covered with foil for 1.5 hours, then increase to 200°C uncovered for 20 minutes.

Refrigerator: Can be kept for 2-3 days after cooking